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Fraternity Life
By: Matt Thomas Fraternities are organizations based around a common theme of brotherhood. Fraternities may also be associated under the category of a social group or the phrase "Greek life". If you visit or pass through a college campus you are guaranteed to run into a fraternity house or two. At the UGA there are twenty-five fraternities on campus whose charters are recognized and supported both nationally and by the University. (Welcome). History of Fraternities at UGA The first fraternity to gain a charter at the University of Georgia was Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) in 1856 (Fraternities). Since then, UGA's Greek life has grown substantially, although there have been probations given to individual chapters, and a ban on the participation of fraternities. Soon to follow in SAE's footsteps was Chi Phi, Kappa Alpha (KA), Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), Phi Delta Theta (Phi Delt), Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu and Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) which were all founded within the next 12 years (Fraternities). Greek life in Athens really erupted during this time. From 1865 throughout the early 1870's many young men were returning home from war and attending school again. It was the idea of brotherhood, found in fraternities, which resembled something familiar and fond to them. It is no surprise however that many chapters get revoked then re-chartered throughout their history, and at the University of Georgia this is no different. In 1874, Chancellor Henry H. Tucker banned fraternities as a whole from campus. He thought they were distracting the overall academic performance of students, brought about animosity between students of different fraternities, and he believed fraternities provided an unacceptable standard of behavior to its members and others around them (Stoddard, Jr.). It wasn't until 1884 when Patrick H. Mell accepted the position as chancellor that fraternities were readmitted to the university. He did so on the premise that one representative from each of the eight fraternities on campus (all stated above) would be accountable for publishing the university's yearbook, the Pandora ''in 1886 (Stoddard, Jr.). Since this time, the University of Georgia has seen many fraternities come and go, but today there remains twenty-five strong chapters. They are dedicated to the brotherhoods which they stand for, and helping influence the community and Greek life in Athens. UGA Fraternity Chapters *Alpha Epsilon Pi *Alpha Gamma Rho *Alpha Tau Omega *Beta Theta Pi *Chi Phi *Delta Sigma Phi *Delta Tau Delta *Kappa Alpha *Lambda Chi Alpha *Phi Delta Theta *Phi Gamma Delta *Phi Kappa Psi *Phi Kappa Tau *Phi Kappa Theta *Pi Kappa Alpha *Pi Kappa Phi *Sigma Alpha Epsilon *Sigma Chi *Sigma Nu *Sigma Phi Epsilon *Sigma Pi *Tau Epsilon Phi *Tau Kappa Epsilon *Theta Chi *Zeta Beta Tau (Welcome) How to Get Involved Fall Rush: There are many ways to get involved with fraternities at UGA, the most common is for upcoming freshman which is known as fall rush. There are two branches to this category. The first is known as informal rush, which occurs over the summer leading up to your move in day; the second is called formal rush, which happens throughout the first week you move into your residence halls (Buchanan). In a recent interview with the president of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Miles Buchanan, he noted that informal rush was far more beneficial for him because it gave him a far more personal experience with brothers, and a better understanding of the types of men who are in each fraternity. He also stated that informal rush provides upcoming freshman with more time to make a decision on which fraternity to join, "opposed to just getting caught up in the crazy and hectic week of formal rush where many freshman get lost in the crowd of over 500 other guys all trying to put themselves out there for limited bids" (Buchanan). If you are incapable of participating in informal rush for reasons such as distance there are alternative ways to rush. It is understandable that many students coming from out of state or in areas far from UGA might be less likely to travel all the way to Athens just for one night. In these cases there will always be formal rush. Formal rush provides numerous students who wish to join a fraternity a week long of house tours to get acquainted with the fraternities and make relations with the members of these fraternities. Throughout this week it is important to put yourself out there in hopes that a fraternity will grant you a bid to pledge their fraternity (Rush Information). Spring Rush: Spring rush is also a way of becoming involved in the Greek life. It is a process similar to that of fall rush, but on a much smaller scale. Spring rush simply means a freshman delays his opportunity to rush until the second semester. Freshmen have many reasons for withholding until the second semester, but Buchanan states that, "one of the main reasons I have come across for freshman waiting to rush until the spring is so that they can smoothly transition into a college course load without any distractions such as fraternity life to add on to their already busy schedule." Spring rush is what many parents hope all their sons wish to do, because it allows for fewer distractions during the first semester where many freshmen seem to struggle. There are no downfalls in terms of one's standing in a fraternity to rushing in the spring opposed to the fall. Once you are initiated you have the same influence as everyone else in the fraternity. Benefits to Fraternity Life Everlasting Relationships: One of the main ideals behind a fraternity is brotherhood. A so-called everlasting bond you have with the men who were in your chapter as well as the thousands of men who claim the same fraternity. Being a brother of a fraternity makes you a part of something that no one, young or old, can take away from you. the founders of every fraternity had "envisioned a Brotherhood that would extend beyond chapter and campus years...a Brotherhood where the bond and teachings would last a lifetime" (Smiley). Social Life: Fraternities have a very big social calendar. All year round fraternities have what are called socials, which are parties with an individual sorority with a specified theme to go along with it (Buchanan). This allows men and women who are both involved in Greek life an opportunity to get to know each other. Fraternities also have what are called date nights. These are events when each member of the fraternity chooses a date of his choice to attend an event, at a venue outside the Athens area or places like the Georgia Theater, which last the duration of the night. Last but not least, there are what are called semi formals and formals. These are the main events of the year for fraternities. A member of a fraternity will ask a date to accompany him to an event where men dress in tux's and the women wear evening gowns. These events are usually a weekend long and are held in places far away such as New Orleans or Savannah (Buchanan). Higher GPA's: UGA has been collecting data regarding Greek versus non-Greek GPA's for the past few years. It has been repeatedly documented the overall GPA of Greek men is greater than that of the all men's averages. This past spring the average GPA for Greek men was a 3.19 while the all male average GPA was a 3.08 (Grade Report). These numbers support the fact that being part of a fraternity is not just a party scene. Fraternity's pride themselves on being academically strong on campus, and as stated on the Greek life page, "the Greek System strives to attain the highest level of academic achievement possible" (Greek Life). Future Job Opportunities: Another reason many young men are drawn into fraternity life is because of the opportunities for jobs after college. Alumni are very much still involved in their chapter once they have graduated. This allows for many future connections once you become an initiated brother. On any given Saturday an alumni member will show up on campus for a football game and they are always interested in meeting new members of the fraternity. They are also willing to help fellow brothers out in terms of job opportunities and networking. Popularity on Campus (Popularity of UGA Fraternities) This survey was conducted to see what sorority girls think of each fraternity here on campus. The survey was conducted anonymously, the only variable was the surveyer had to be in a sorority . The results lead me to conclude that there are about five or six fraternities that are far more popular than the others. If the survey was on a larger scale the numbers would be more evenly distributed, which is what the University as a whole wants from its Greek life. Works Cited Buchanan, Miles. "Interview with Miles Buchanan." Personal interview. 24 Oct. 2011. "Greek Life: Fraternities." ''University Of Georgia. Greek Life. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. . "Interfraternity Council: Welcome." University Of Georgia. Interfraternity Council. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. . "Interfraternity Council: Rush Information." University Of Georgia. Interfraternity Council. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. . Interfraternity Council. University of Georgia Interfraternity Council Spring 2011 Grade Report. Raw data. University of Georgia IFC, Athens, GA. "Popularity of UGA Fraternities." Interview by Matt R. Thomas. Print. Smiley, Wynn R., ed. Alpha Tau Omega: The Positive Experience. 5th ed. Print. Stoddard, Jr., Calvin C., and Joseph T. Fleming. "The History of Kappa Deuteron." Print.The History Of The Kappa Deuteron Chapter. 18-21. Category:Campus Organizations